Bout of Books Saturday Update

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I stole this template from the Bout of Books website because they said I could if I provided a link back to them.  I think it's a good template because otherwise I'd have no idea about where to begin...

 

Time Devoted to Reading

I want to spend more time reading each day of the week for this Readathon.  I don't have a concrete number because I just don't know what exactly what next week will entail.  But I think it's realistic to say that on most days, I should be able to get at least two hours of reading in.  However, I don't know what kind of curveballs life is going to throw next week.

My Goals

• I am going to be vague here--my goal is just to read more this week and watch less TV.
• If I can finish two of the books below, I will be a happy camper. If I finish more, I will be a very happy camper.  If I just wind up reading a lot from several books, then that's OK too.
• I want to read a variety, which is why I've picked novels, non-fiction, essays, poetry, short stories, and novellas.
  

Updates

Saturday
Saturday also was not the best reading day for me.  It had so much promise.  I was going to stay home all day and read while Zach was at a bachelor party, then possibly go to a friend's house for supper and a move.  Then we got a curveball--on the way out of town, Zach's car got a flat, so the guys had to take a different vehicle, and I took his car to get fixed.  Then the friend and I figured that since we were already out, we may as well have a girls' afternoon.  I got home around 4:30 and had to finish doing the laundry.  I turned on the TV to see if I could find Almost Famous...then I kind of got sucked into an NCIS marathon.

I did, however, make some progress with The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter before all of this happened.  I love that book.  I'm about 50 pages in.  I love how McCullers is able to just completely describe the atmosphere in a way that I can feel the heat dripping off of me.

Friday
Friday wasn't the best reading day for me.  I was really pretty busy most of the day--We went to The Great Gatsby, had a bit of a break, then picked up pizzas and went to a baseball game with some friends.  However, I DID read a fantastic Joan Didion essay called "On Keeping a Notebook."  It was perfect.  The essay is in the middle of the book, so I totally skipped ahead.  But I saw a lot in it that rang totally true for myself about why I carry this ridiculous little notebook around with me wherever I go, even in a little clutch for date night.  Can't help it.  Anyway, I am so happy that I was introduced to Didion and I cannot wait to read more of her work.  I really want to watch Almost Famous right now.  Alas, my copy of the DVD is in Tulsa.  Basically, I would officially love to write like Didion.  She is so honest and raw and accessible, but totally smart and exotic.  So cool.

Thursday
This was another great day of reading for me.  After work, I plowed through the end of All the Summer Girls.  Well...I took a two-ish hour break to watch the series finale of The Office...but other than that I read Thursday afternoon and night.  I really enjoyed the book, but you'll have to read my review about it tomorrow on the Broke and the Bookish.  It was really the kind of book that I needed to read at the time.

Wednesday
What a wonderful day of reading!  After work, I picked up All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue, which is an ARC I'll be reviewing at Broke and Bookish on Sunday.  I read about half of the book yesterday.  It was just what I needed to be reading!  It was the only thing I read yesterday.  It feels like it has been such a long time since I was so engrossed in a novel, but then I remember what happened with Bridget Jones a few weeks ago.  Abandoning my list really was a great idea.  I let me mind wander to what I wanted to be reading and picked up something I couldn't put down.

I still hope to spend time reading some/any of the books on my list before the end of Saturday, but we'll see. A couple of them are still whispering to me, but it is just that--a whisper, not a call.  We shall see what transpires.  I am definitely excited to be picking up momentum and blocking out everything else.  :)

Tuesday
I did much better with my reading on Tuesday--no naps!  After work and lunch, I started reading Marilyn Monroe by Barbara Leaming, thus abandoning my list (hence the strikethrough above).  I think I feel OK with this.  I really wanted to make progress on those books, but I think the more important thing is to make progress on any books that make me want to read instead of do other things.  I read the first few chapters of the Marilyn biography yesterday.  I've read this biography before and I think it paints a really deep picture of such a tortured individual.  I am looking forward to making progress on a re-read.  I took a break for a few hours to go to my friends' son's t-ball game.  (He did really well, so I'd say it was worth it)  I haven't been tracking how many pages I've read total--too much work--but I feel like I'm doing all right considering how much I have had going on.  I really hope to have much more to report about my Wednesday reading.

Monday
I didn't do so hot with my reading on Monday.  I worked from 8:00-1:00, came home, had lunch, and fell asleep for three hours.  Then I got up and loafed around for a bit, actually did some reading, and then fell asleep at my usual time.  All in all, I read the introduction to two of my non-fiction books--the Duncan and the Didion--and a few chapters of Forster.  I am not thrilled with my progress, but I really needed to catch up on my sleep, so I'll let it slide.  I kind of figured that this would wind up happening.  Time to read...

Bout of Books Thursday and Friday Updates

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I stole this template from the Bout of Books website because they said I could if I provided a link back to them.  I think it's a good template because otherwise I'd have no idea about where to begin...

 

Time Devoted to Reading

I want to spend more time reading each day of the week for this Readathon.  I don't have a concrete number because I just don't know what exactly what next week will entail.  But I think it's realistic to say that on most days, I should be able to get at least two hours of reading in.  However, I don't know what kind of curveballs life is going to throw next week.

My Goals

• I am going to be vague here--my goal is just to read more this week and watch less TV.
• If I can finish two of the books below, I will be a happy camper. If I finish more, I will be a very happy camper.  If I just wind up reading a lot from several books, then that's OK too.
• I want to read a variety, which is why I've picked novels, non-fiction, essays, poetry, short stories, and novellas.
  

Updates

Friday
Friday wasn't the best reading day for me.  I was really pretty busy most of the day--We went to The Great Gatsby, had a bit of a break, then picked up pizzas and went to a baseball game with some friends.  However, I DID read a fantastic Joan Didion essay called "On Keeping a Notebook."  It was perfect.  The essay is in the middle of the book, so I totally skipped ahead.  But I saw a lot in it that rang totally true for myself about why I carry this ridiculous little notebook around with me wherever I go, even in a little clutch for date night.  Can't help it.  Anyway, I am so happy that I was introduced to Didion and I cannot wait to read more of her work.  I really want to watch Almost Famous right now.  Alas, my copy of the DVD is in Tulsa.  Basically, I would officially love to write like Didion.  She is so honest and raw and accessible, but totally smart and exotic.  So cool.

Thursday
This was another great day of reading for me.  After work, I plowed through the end of All the Summer Girls.  Well...I took a two-ish hour break to watch the series finale of The Office...but other than that I read Thursday afternoon and night.  I really enjoyed the book, but you'll have to read my review about it tomorrow on the Broke and the Bookish.  It was really the kind of book that I needed to read at the time.

Wednesday
What a wonderful day of reading!  After work, I picked up All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue, which is an ARC I'll be reviewing at Broke and Bookish on Sunday.  I read about half of the book yesterday.  It was just what I needed to be reading!  It was the only thing I read yesterday.  It feels like it has been such a long time since I was so engrossed in a novel, but then I remember what happened with Bridget Jones a few weeks ago.  Abandoning my list really was a great idea.  I let me mind wander to what I wanted to be reading and picked up something I couldn't put down.

I still hope to spend time reading some/any of the books on my list before the end of Saturday, but we'll see. A couple of them are still whispering to me, but it is just that--a whisper, not a call.  We shall see what transpires.  I am definitely excited to be picking up momentum and blocking out everything else.  :)

Tuesday
I did much better with my reading on Tuesday--no naps!  After work and lunch, I started reading Marilyn Monroe by Barbara Leaming, thus abandoning my list (hence the strikethrough above).  I think I feel OK with this.  I really wanted to make progress on those books, but I think the more important thing is to make progress on any books that make me want to read instead of do other things.  I read the first few chapters of the Marilyn biography yesterday.  I've read this biography before and I think it paints a really deep picture of such a tortured individual.  I am looking forward to making progress on a re-read.  I took a break for a few hours to go to my friends' son's t-ball game.  (He did really well, so I'd say it was worth it)  I haven't been tracking how many pages I've read total--too much work--but I feel like I'm doing all right considering how much I have had going on.  I really hope to have much more to report about my Wednesday reading.

Monday
I didn't do so hot with my reading on Monday.  I worked from 8:00-1:00, came home, had lunch, and fell asleep for three hours.  Then I got up and loafed around for a bit, actually did some reading, and then fell asleep at my usual time.  All in all, I read the introduction to two of my non-fiction books--the Duncan and the Didion--and a few chapters of Forster.  I am not thrilled with my progress, but I really needed to catch up on my sleep, so I'll let it slide.  I kind of figured that this would wind up happening.  Time to read...

Bout of Books Wednesday Update

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I stole this template from the Bout of Books website because they said I could if I provided a link back to them.  I think it's a good template because otherwise I'd have no idea about where to begin...

 

Time Devoted to Reading

I want to spend more time reading each day of the week for this Readathon.  I don't have a concrete number because I just don't know what exactly what next week will entail.  But I think it's realistic to say that on most days, I should be able to get at least two hours of reading in.  However, I don't know what kind of curveballs life is going to throw next week.

My Goals

• I am going to be vague here--my goal is just to read more this week and watch less TV.
• If I can finish two of the books below, I will be a happy camper. If I finish more, I will be a very happy camper.  If I just wind up reading a lot from several books, then that's OK too.
• I want to read a variety, which is why I've picked novels, non-fiction, essays, poetry, short stories, and novellas.
  

Updates

Wednesday
What a wonderful day of reading!  After work, I picked up All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue, which is an ARC I'll be reviewing at Broke and Bookish on Sunday.  I read about half of the book yesterday.  It was just what I needed to be reading!  It was the only thing I read yesterday.  It feels like it has been such a long time since I was so engrossed in a novel, but then I remember what happened with Bridget Jones a few weeks ago.  Abandoning my list really was a great idea.  I let me mind wander to what I wanted to be reading and picked up something I couldn't put down.

I still hope to spend time reading some/any of the books on my list before the end of Saturday, but we'll see. A couple of them are still whispering to me, but it is just that--a whisper, not a call.  We shall see what transpires.  I am definitely excited to be picking up momentum and blocking out everything else.  :)

Tuesday
I did much better with my reading on Tuesday--no naps!  After work and lunch, I started reading Marilyn Monroe by Barbara Leaming, thus abandoning my list (hence the strikethrough above).  I think I feel OK with this.  I really wanted to make progress on those books, but I think the more important thing is to make progress on any books that make me want to read instead of do other things.  I read the first few chapters of the Marilyn biography yesterday.  I've read this biography before and I think it paints a really deep picture of such a tortured individual.  I am looking forward to making progress on a re-read.  I took a break for a few hours to go to my friends' son's t-ball game.  (He did really well, so I'd say it was worth it)  I haven't been tracking how many pages I've read total--too much work--but I feel like I'm doing all right considering how much I have had going on.  I really hope to have much more to report about my Wednesday reading.

Monday
I didn't do so hot with my reading on Monday.  I worked from 8:00-1:00, came home, had lunch, and fell asleep for three hours.  Then I got up and loafed around for a bit, actually did some reading, and then fell asleep at my usual time.  All in all, I read the introduction to two of my non-fiction books--the Duncan and the Didion--and a few chapters of Forster.  I am not thrilled with my progress, but I really needed to catch up on my sleep, so I'll let it slide.  I kind of figured that this would wind up happening.  Time to read...

Bout of Books Tuesday Update

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I stole this template from the Bout of Books website because they said I could if I provided a link back to them.  I think it's a good template because otherwise I'd have no idea about where to begin...

 

Time Devoted to Reading

I want to spend more time reading each day of the week for this Readathon.  I don't have a concrete number because I just don't know what exactly what next week will entail.  But I think it's realistic to say that on most days, I should be able to get at least two hours of reading in.  However, I don't know what kind of curveballs life is going to throw next week.

My Goals

• I am going to be vague here--my goal is just to read more this week and watch less TV.
• If I can finish two of the books below, I will be a happy camper. If I finish more, I will be a very happy camper.  If I just wind up reading a lot from several books, then that's OK too.
• I want to read a variety, which is why I've picked novels, non-fiction, essays, poetry, short stories, and novellas.
  

Books to Read

• The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
• My Life by Isadora Duncan
• Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion
• In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway
• Collected Novellas by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• A Room With a View by E.M. Forster
• Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
• Collected Poems by Emily Dickinson
• Leaves of Grass (1855) by Walt Whitman
• If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
• Don Quixote by Cervantes or Moby Dick by Herman Melville
  

Updates

Tuesday
I did much better with my reading on Tuesday--no naps!  After work and lunch, I started reading Marilyn Monroe by Barbara Leaming, thus abandoning my list (hence the strikethrough above).  I think I feel OK with this.  I really wanted to make progress on those books, but I think the more important thing is to make progress on any books that make me want to read instead of do other things.  I read the first few chapters of the Marilyn biography yesterday.  I've read this biography before and I think it paints a really deep picture of such a tortured individual.  I am looking forward to making progress on a re-read.  I took a break for a few hours to go to my friends' son's t-ball game.  (He did really well, so I'd say it was worth it)  I haven't been tracking how many pages I've read total--too much work--but I feel like I'm doing all right considering how much I have had going on.  I really hope to have much more to report about my Wednesday reading.

Monday
I didn't do so hot with my reading on Monday.  I worked from 8:00-1:00, came home, had lunch, and fell asleep for three hours.  Then I got up and loafed around for a bit, actually did some reading, and then fell asleep at my usual time.  All in all, I read the introduction to two of my non-fiction books--the Duncan and the Didion--and a few chapters of Forster.  I am not thrilled with my progress, but I really needed to catch up on my sleep, so I'll let it slide.  I kind of figured that this would wind up happening.  Time to read...

Bout of Books Monday Update

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I stole this template from the Bout of Books website because they said I could if I provided a link back to them.  I think it's a good template because otherwise I'd have no idea about where to begin...

 

Time Devoted to Reading

I want to spend more time reading each day of the week for this Readathon.  I don't have a concrete number because I just don't know what exactly what next week will entail.  But I think it's realistic to say that on most days, I should be able to get at least two hours of reading in.  However, I don't know what kind of curveballs life is going to throw next week.

My Goals

• I am going to be vague here--my goal is just to read more this week and watch less TV.
• If I can finish two of the books below, I will be a happy camper. If I finish more, I will be a very happy camper.  If I just wind up reading a lot from several books, then that's OK too.
• I want to read a variety, which is why I've picked novels, non-fiction, essays, poetry, short stories, and novellas.
  

Books to Read

• The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
• My Life by Isadora Duncan
• Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion
• In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway
• Collected Novellas by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• A Room With a View by E.M. Forster
• Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
• Collected Poems by Emily Dickinson
• Leaves of Grass (1855) by Walt Whitman
• If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
• Don Quixote by Cervantes or Moby Dick by Herman Melville
  

Updates

Monday
I didn't do so hot with my reading on Monday.  I worked from 8:00-1:00, came home, had lunch, and fell asleep for three hours.  Then I got up and loafed around for a bit, actually did some reading, and then fell asleep at my usual time.  All in all, I read the introduction to two of my non-fiction books--the Duncan and the Didion--and a few chapters of Forster.  I am not thrilled with my progress, but I really needed to catch up on my sleep, so I'll let it slide.  I kind of figured that this would wind up happening.  Time to read...

Bout of Books Goals

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I stole this template from the Bout of Books website because they said I could if I provided a link back to them.  I think it's a good template because otherwise I'd have no idea about where to begin...

 

Time Devoted to Reading

I want to spend more time reading each day of the week for this Readathon.  I don't have a concrete number because I just don't know what exactly what next week will entail.  But I think it's realistic to say that on most days, I should be able to get at least two hours of reading in.  Definitely more on some days...like Saturday...when Zach is going to be at a bachelor party.  However, I don't know what kind of curveballs life is going to throw next week.

My Goals

• I am going to be vague here--my goal is just to read more this week and watch less TV.
• If I can finish two of the books below, I will be a happy camper. If I finish more, I will be a very happy camper.  If I just wind up reading a lot from several books, then that's OK too.
• I want to read a variety, which is why I've picked novels, non-fiction, essays, poetry, short stories, and novellas.
  

Books to Read

Let me preface this list by saying that I mostly just grabbed some books from my shelf this morning.  Most of them have been "speaking to me" for a while, so I figure that on some level, they're the ones I should be reading soon.  I didn't edit or censor my selections.  I just grabbed.  Running late for work really helped the speed of things.

• The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers--I've been thinking about this book a lot lately.  I plan on bringing it with me this weekend to St. Louis so I can get a bit of a start on it. (I think. I am limiting myself to one book and I'm struggling to do that)
• My Life by Isadora Duncan--I just got this one in.  It sounds fascinating.  I don't know a whole lot about Duncan, so I am excited to learn something new.
• Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion--I don't know.  It just stood out to me this morning while I was grabbing some books, so I figured that that was good enough reason.  I am not aiming to finish this book next week, but I'd like to at least read a few essays.
• In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway--Get started on my Hemingway project.  Plus I wanted to read some short stories next week.
• Collected Novellas by Gabriel Garcia Marquez--Mostly for variety.  Marquez is Latin American and these are a good length for finishing in a long sitting.  I don't necessarily want to read the whole thing next week, but I'd like to read at least one of these novellas.
• A Room With a View by E.M. Forster--This is another one that has been jumping out in my mind lately, so I figure I ought to give it a good shake.
• Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes--I've been reading from this the past week.  I love this book.  It really inspires me and it feels like summer and freedom.
• Collected Poems by Emily Dickinson--I just got this in and I want to read her poetry.  I read a couple last night and was pleasantly surprised that she is different from my preconceptions.
• Leaves of Grass (1855) by Walt Whitman--I want to read this damn book.  It's been a monkey on my back for such a long time.  A Twitter friend said to read the 1855 edition first, wait a bit, then read the deathbed edition.  Will do!
• If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italio Calvino--A blogging hero of mine recently mentioned reading Calvino.  Then I looked at BookRiot's Start Here and saw that the contributor suggested starting with this one.  I got the free sample on my Nook and if I have enough money left over at the end of the weekend, I'll buy it.  (Ah, the life of a student...)
• Don Quixote by Cervantes or Moby Dick by Herman Melville--I want to read a long novel.  I think that it will help me focus and might break my habit of flitting from book to book.  Both of these have been popping up in my mind a lot recently, so I think it's time.
  

Updates

Monday
Number of books I've read today:
Total number of books I've read:
Books:




I'll probably wind up doing a separate post each day next week instead of adding to the same post.  But we'll see what happens.  This readathon is totally chill and I love that.

Bout of Books Intention Post

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team


I saw information about this readathon on a couple of blogs that I follow and decided that it was just way too good of an opportunity to be lazy and read to pass up.  I love how it's an entire week devoted to reading, so that I don't have to feel like a loser for being busy on a particular day.  I love how there are three of these weeks throughout the year.  I love how I am now officially done with library school, so I won't have to waste time on that.  I love how the goal is to just read more than you would normally read.  I can amp things up for a week.  I can also go to work, work out, and do the other stuff I have to do.  Score!  Plus I'm supposed to do a daily recap, so I'll be blogging every single day next week.  Double score!

Anyway, consider this my official entry to the readathon.  I'll post again today with my reading goals for the week.